Concordia ousts Lakers in football tourney

Fort Wayne Concordia ended the Lakeland football campaign last Friday night in LaGrange with a 28-14 victory over the Lakers in the opening round of the 3A state playoffs.

The Cadets, who dealt Lakeland a 35-3 setback two weeks earlier in Fort Wayne, jumped to a 14-0 lead five minutes into the first period on a 63-yard touchdown jaunt by Jon Poore and a 32-yard scoring pass from David Morrison to Jake Minnich. Andrew Wick followed each tally with a PAT kick.

Morrison tossed a 34-yard touchdown pass to Devin Sparks late in the second quarter to give the visitors a 21-0 halftime lead. Midway through the third period, Jorden Kindig snared an 11-yard aerial from Morrison for the fourth Concordia touchdown and a 28-0 edge.

Lakeland cut the difference in half by the end of the third stanza thanks to long touchdown passes from William Kelly to Wyatt Petty (82 yards) and Joel Miller (51 yards). Marco Olivares capped each with extra-point boots.

Arron Barker’s recovery of a Concordia fumble early in the fourth quarter put the ball back into the Lakers’ hands near midfield. But the Lakeland offense could do nothing with the turnover.

The Cadets then went on a 10-play, 65-yard drive which, though it didn’t yield and points, ate up nearly all of the remaining time on the clock.

Morrison was 16-28 through the air for 268 yards. Poore carried the pigskin 26 times for 250 yards.

Kelly completed 10-28 passes for 203 yards. Petty hauled in three receptions for 116 yards and Miller snagged three for 77.

Petty and Kyle Casper led the Laker defense in tackles with 10 and nine, respectively.

Lakeland finishes the season 7-3.

Concordia takes a 7-3 mark into second-round action this Friday at Bellmont (5-5).